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Opposition leader Rona Ambrose pauses as she makes a brief statement following the death of former Conservative MP and Alberta Premier Jim Prentice Friday, October 14, 2016, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Prentice was killed after a plane he was travelling on crashed in B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — Former federal cabinet minister and Alberta premier Jim Prentice was remembered in Ottawa on Monday, days after he and three others died in a plane crash.

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose choked back tears as she paid tribute to Prentice in the House of Commons.

“He was a true gentleman politician — kind and possessing a love of public policy and public service,” she said. “That was true whether he was in opposition or on the government benches in this House or, of course, working for the people of Alberta as the province’s 16th premier.

“His loss is Alberta’s loss but it’s also Canada’s loss. We hope his loved ones find strength in each other — even in their grief — and that Jim’s memory will be a blessing to them in time.”

After a moment of silence for Prentice, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said everyone on both sides of the House feels the loss.

“We will all miss his intelligence, honesty, thoughtfulness and the kindness he brought to his work. Jim was a man of deep convictions, who dedicated his life to public service, to the people of Alberta and to all Canadians,” Trudeau said.

“I cherish the time I spent working with Jim and will always remember his kind, thoughtful manner.”

Prentice was on board a small jet that went down Thursday night after it left the airport in Kelowna, B.C. The plane was en route to the Springbank airport, outside Calgary.

The Transportation Safety Board has said the plane disappeared from radar shortly after it took off and no emergency calls or signals were made before the crash. The agency is still investigating.

Prentice, 60, served as a federal aboriginal affairs minister, environment minister and industry minister before he quit federal politics in 2010 to take on a post as a senior executive with CIBC.

Four years later, he won the leadership race for the Alberta Progressive Conservatives and became premier. He quit politics in May 2015 after the Alberta NDP swept the Progressive Conservatives from power.

I rose in Parliament today to pay tribute to our good friend, Jim. All of us here have the Prentice family in our thoughts. pic.twitter.com/myFPQH7dHK